White Hibiscus : Stigma
by yu-pon
Summary: Stigma tells the events of Las Noches when Orihime was held prisoner, from an Ulquiorra point of view. Rather UlquiHime, so enter at your own risk!
1. 零 The Moon and The Gray Clouds

**White Hibiscus: Stigma**

**「零」 The Moon and The Gray Clouds**

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_**Greetings!**  
Thank you for stumbling onto this page m(_ _)m  
I thought I should provide some warnings that this fic is pretty much focusing on Ulquiorra x Orihime, with an occasional introduction of characters residing in Hueco Mundo~ XDD  
You need to have some kind of character knowledge to know what this chapter is talking about.  
No names are mentioned so far XDDD

**Disclaimer(s):** I do not own Bleach and their characters (definitely); they are all masterpieces from Kubo-sensei~

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_  
The moon looked up, her eyes reflecting a strong sense of disbelief,_  
"_We are not that different?"_

"_We are too different," She retorted._

_She had a facial expression that reminded me of a stray cat, petrified but still very rebellious._

This world that I was introduced to, was peaceful and serene. The pale sands would make tiny ripples on the surface as the occasional strong winds blew. The sparse dead trees would cackle softly against the breeze as if they were singing in harmony.

This world that I knew and grown too familiar with, had people living in it. The citizens who made up of the residence here spoke politely with grace, with the exception of a few - they too would give their utmost best to respect those that were above them. This world may resemble a monarchy, but it definitely had a lot of democracy within it. The king was often decisive with his flawless counter-strategies. Whenever we had court meetings, he was aided with two loyal advisors which stood by his every decision without fail.

A mere minister I was, along with nine others we formed the cabinet which seemed like the governing body to the remaining citizens - all decisions were eventually finalized by the King. I may not be the highest-ranking official; yet I was often entrusted with major duties, ordered by the King himself. A favorite, the other officials would whisper amongst themselves and jealousy sparked as they fought for attention from the King. My job was not to participate in that foolish rat race; it was to fulfill my duties as a cabinet member. If there was someone that I had bothered to throw my glance at, it would only be this wise King.

This world that I lived in, gave me almost everything I had wanted.

_Almost_. This world, was so close to being the perfect, idealistic one I had always visualized it to be.

This world, was getting boring.

My eyes observed how the gray streamlined clouds had wrapped the bright silver moon in darkness. A shadow had crept stealthily behind me - it was the King, with his usual polite greeting towards his own subordinates.

"The moon looks pitiful, isn't it?" A random remark about the surrounding environment would seem just fine to spark a conversation. The ruler kept quiet as if he was demanding a reply from me.

_What about the moon that was so pitiful?_  
I turned slightly to my right, my eyes studied the gradual motion of his mouth.

"Why do you say so?"

The King revealed a slight smirk, as if he had already anticipated my question.  
"As beautiful as she has always been, she is unable to resist the looming darkness that engulfs her."

"She is being pitiful?" I was picking up another lesson from him once more.

"Yes, indeed." The King replied softly with an amused reaction. He must have enjoyed the way that he was taking control of the conversation.

"Why is...the moon..."

I wasn't sure how I should approach this question and stopped at the last word.  
Why is the moon a "she"?  
There was no way we could tell the gender by looking at its round appearance just like that.

"I think she's feeling lonely, isn't she? That's why she didn't even mind the companion of darkness," The man beside me described motionless objects as if they were entirely alive. Darkness was now like a friend, not the phenomenon caused by a lack of light.

Why is the King speaking of the moon all of a sudden?

"Pardon me for asking," I interrupted the puzzling conversation.

"Is there a reason...," It was difficult to complete the sentence without offending this man. A mere minister like me should never question a King's actions, nor should he ruin his seemingly enjoyable evening.

"Do I need a reason to speak to you?" The King asked in a quizzical tone. Like a huge clock tower that just stroke midnight, the great man had just knocked some sense into this head of mine.

"No," I bowed my head in apology.

I guess I just angered the King, didn't I?

The monotonous days might have just dimmed my analytical senses in asking intellectual questions.

"Just when I thought you would make a nice listening partner..." He frowned while he gazed at the muffled moonlight peeking out at the ends of the clouds.

"My apologies once again," I insisted firmly, with my head still looking at the white concrete tile.

The King broke out into a laughter.  
He actually thought of me, a tiny residence of this massive castle, as his listening partner.

A _listening_ partner.  
That would mean I should just keep quiet and hear what the King has to say, am I right?

"I was just joking," He gave me a pat on my right shoulder.

The moon slowly regained her former shape - smooth, shiny and speckled with gray spots. The people from my world just assumed naturally that it was a she. Why was the moon a female? It did not have long hair, nor did it spoke in a higher pitch. It would be awkward if I had asked the King why, for it seemed like a commonly known fact; based on how he phrased his sentences.

"How wonderful if everyone had an existence like the moon," The King remarked randomly, expressing his awe for the silver glowing object in the night sky.

I kept quiet. There was something intriguing and mystifying about the silent presence. The moon may not have eyes that moved around like we do; but she definitely looked like she was gazing back at us in the same manner. Even when I could not see her eyes, she appeared that way to me. What a strange moon, I thought to myself.

"Do you have a existence like that?" That curious mindset was operating on its own, against my will to perform my duty as a "good listening ear".

"Ah...about that, I'm about to have one," The King closed his eyes and smiled.

So the King does have a moon for himself.

"The moon that is mine, belongs to all of you here as well,"

"The moon that all of you will stand under when we enter the new world," The King spoke of the visions he had of the new world that we are fighting hardly for.

"Does everyone have a different moon?" I asked while I counted the number of spots on the surface of the round object.

The King smiled and replied,"Why, of course it differs to everybody. You too, will have one."

I too, will own a moon like that?

"I see," I concentrated on the almost even lines of the sand dunes.

***

_Do you know something?  
You are just like the moon, entirely afraid of being alone in this world.  
So much so, that you did not seem to bother that the existence standing in front of you,  
That that existence was so filled with the color black, he became the darkness that was devouring you._

You and I, were like that of the gray clouds and the frail silver moon.

I stared at the same woman in front of me. Orange haired, gray eyes and a pair of blue flower-shaped hair clips fastened above her ears. I could tell that the only thing she probably feared at that moment was not facing me, it was that she was aware of something else.

That I was about to isolate and rip her of her current companions – those two weak-looking Shinigamis.

"Wait! You have something to say to me right?" She thought she was able to retain her company.

I have to apologize to you, woman. You can't change the way I want things to turn out to be.  
This is how I make my self-introduction - I show people how despair feels like.  
If you don't understand how that feels, you should at least watch it with your own eyes.

Her eyes wavered in fear when I took out one with a snap of my fingers.  
"No!" She mouthed those words without even having the strength to raise her voice.  
There was even difficulty to breathe out those words that she intended to say.

It's futile, woman.  
The feeling of being unable to save the people around you, that in itself is the birth of despair.

"Follow me," I said those words to her.

I knew she was about to reject my offer so I added another sentence so that she could understand my intentions better.

"You can only say Yes. Or, your friends will suffer,"

This woman had commendable levels of bravery within her. The only thing she did was to move her legs closer towards my back. She did not even say "Yes"; it was apparent that she wanted to negotiate some terms with me.

"This is not a negotiation," I warned her.

"It's an order that you can only heed and nothing else,"

_The moon was left in the vast open night sky, fending for herself.  
Let me be the darkness then, and then I'll cover all that you don't want to see._

She stood at the entrance, her hands tugging very tightly at her skirt; like she was showing her reluctance on purpose.

I remembered I asked her very mundane questions like "Have you said your goodbye?" even when I was aware of her every move in that town. She just wouldn't reply.

The gray clouds drifted away slowly and revealed a beam of white light that shone onto the two of us. It was time to leave this town - I turned my back towards her, hinting her to follow my footsteps.

_"_We are not that different,_"_ I remarked, trying to assure her that there was not much to adapt back at the new place.

The moon looked up, her eyes reflecting a strong sense of disbelief,  
"We are not that different?"

"We are _too_ different," She muttered to herself.  
She had a facial expression that reminded me of a stray cat that passed by a few minutes ago, petrified but still very rebellious.

As the dark hole opened itself, the pavement laid its path back home.  
_I whispered something so softly,  
I knew she probably would not like what I wanted to say to her.  
"Welcome to my world."_

I looked up at the sky one last time.

The moon was all alone again.

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**yu-pon's note:  
**Hello =33 If this is your first time reading my fic, Welcome!  
I started writing this fic on a bus...and just finished writing!  
(it's 5 am soon~so aka --- I need some sleep haha.)

It's a Chapter 00. So it's like a prologue!!  
I didn't actually continue off from the previous one because there would be people reading this only? yep~  
Chapter 1... which will be written soon will talk about the events... Orihime says goodbye at Karakura Town from peeping Ulquiorra~ XDD

I'm trying to make this UlquiHime~ I'll try okay!

so..I guess it's Chapter 01 then?

See ya guys soon!!

ほなおつ～  
yu-pon deshita~


	2. 壱 The 720 Minute Hourglass

**White Hibiscus ~****ホワイトハイビスカス~**

壱 **The 720-Minute Hourglass.**

**真昼~Midday~**

Over at Las Noches, no one ever knew what the exact time was.  
How long has it been since the first soul arrived in this world?  
How long have we all been stuck in this desert?

We could attempt the many ways to measure time.  
We can store a minute worth of sand within an hourglass.  
We would be made aware of the existence of the flow of time;  
but we would never figure out just how much time has seeped through us.

The sceneries out there never change.  
We never bothered whether the sky was blue, orange or black.  
It never once made a difference.

We could not see nor feel time, so we accepted ignorantly that it never existed.

The absence of time, however, made us foolish beings that were unable of comprehending the pain of losing it.

***

In Karakura Town, I make new discoveries every time I visit this place.  
Time was calibrated and could be read off a device known as a clock.  
The humans that roamed around the streets of Karakura Town knew their ages; they had numbers affixed to the duration they had been alive.

For time was measurable in Karakura Town,  
For these people lived everyday against the limitation of time,  
For there was so much left to accomplish,

Time was increasingly scarce and fluid here.  
12 hours in Karakura Town seemed like...two hundred steps to the hallway in front of me.

The asphalt-colored rocky paths were drenched in darker colors today - red and black. As the two of us conversed among the presence of two dead Shinigami corpses, the air smelt of rust - probably the decomposition of iron oxide from the red viscous fluid called blood.

As I reached out from my left pocket a silver device, my head was filled with the exact demand I should issue to that woman. I probably have to sound like I was giving a death sentence and fill her with fear. Humans obey one another because of fear right?

I tossed the silver device in the direction of the long-haired human.

"Take this, woman." I instructed as the silver device found its way to her palms.

"A bracelet?" She asked while examining the shiny accessory.

"A device, that masks your reiatsu such that you can only be seen by us," I tried to correct her and made efforts to trick her into believing that she was becoming less human.

The fringe on her head fell slightly in front of her gray eyes. The woman did not retaliate, nor did her heartbeat slow down - she was still afraid of my presence. She did not breathe out a word, she just kept gazing at the 'bracelet' as if it was absorbing her soul.

"You are to wear it and you cannot remove it," I gave her another instruction to follow.

"What should you say?" I demanded a reply.

"Understood," She had lowered her head slightly. Her eyes were showing signs of melancholy - they would look similar to mine if she were to frown more. It was obvious that I was not "taking good care of her", as previously ordered by Aizen-sama. I should probably make her less unhappy on the day she arrives in an entirely new world.

While Aizen-sama's orders were to have her brought back immediately, there was still ample time to play mind games with this woman. I was aware that there was something else she irked doing; and I want to dwell further into it.

"I'll give you a 12 hour grace. You can use that time to bid farewell to one person." I was so sure her eyes brightened up a little; she probably had not expected that I would say that to her. She was surprised that she was given such a long time to say goodbye to one person; but her eyes would writhe in pain as I finished the sentence.

Inoue Orihime, has always detested the idea of saying goodbye.

To what extent will one obey when the body and the brain are being subjected to attacks of fear?

_Will you do something even if you hated doing it, for the sake of your... nakamas?  
Will you accept that condition?_

_Not her. Definitely not. _

I was waiting for her to say something like, "I rather go with you right now."

Inoue Orihime, she makes fear sound like a very insignificant existence sometimes.  
She was not afraid at all; it was strange because I had unleashed my killing intent on her.  
She clutched the device so tightly as if she was telling me that she would break it if she had the strength to.  
She looked up, with a sudden spark of determination flashing across her eyes, "I'll do it."

That reply was not what I had expected from her.

Who was that person she had developed the want to bid farewell to? Why, as much as she had loathed and feared it, she felt the need to do it? Her natural reflexes sent her walking backwards when I began to approach closer - that was a sign of fear, isn't it? She was still afraid of me.

I grabbed her arm. She gasped softly and pulled her arm slightly backwards in resistance.

I sighed out, locked the device onto her wrist and reminded her, "No one sees you, except us."

She nodded silently and acknowledged the reminder, "I know."

Even when that special someone she wants to bid farewell to could not see her, she still wants to do it. _Why do humans like doing things knowing that situations won't change at all?_

"You are given the ability to penetrate matter with this. Walk through doors, walls, at your own free will."

"Okay." She didn't seem too alarmed at what the device could do.

"I still can monitor what you are doing. If that person realizes your existence, I'll treat this as a 'violation of my rules'."

"Okay." This time she sounded a little shakier.

"It's 1157hr right now. Our appointed time would be 0000hr, at the clock tower. Finish up everything and report there."

I pretended to walk into the Garganta and waited for the hole to close up. As I was totally engulfed in darkness, I attached another similar device onto my right wrist. It acted as a similar device as the one she was wearing.

_Leave you alone in the open space so that you can run around freely?  
I'm sorry, Inoue Orihime.  
I can't do that._

I cannot accommodate the possibility of such foolish errors.

When light poured in again, I was standing directly behind her back. She pushed her fringe to the back of her ears and inhaled deeply.

"Okay Orihime, you have a lot of things to do!" She slapped her cheeks twice.

***

How long have I been following behind those nimble footsteps that trotted around the town? The speed at which the legs were taking its owner was not exactly fast, but they kept changing positions. The owner of that pair of legs was no longer visible under the eyes of normal human; it had the power now to penetrate matter. It jumped onto the top of wheeled-vehicles parked by the side; it walked through three lamp posts. Those legs danced from one corner to another and twirled on the white stripes of the road.

"I've always wanted to do something like this!" The owner of the footsteps would keep her hands outstretched and jumped on the spot in a clockwise manner. She had sounded a little too happy for someone who had just been landed with an imprisonment sentence.

For no reason, the hopping-around ceased as the young lady finished humming a tune.

She began to turn around.

If I took off the device right now, I would be looking straight into her eyes, face to face.

"Hmm?" She tilted her head slightly while she kept her eyes looking far. She narrowed her eyes as they hit the corners as if she was looking out for someone.

There is definitely no way she can tell that I am standing directly in front of her.  
For the device that the both of us were donning, I was its creator.

"It has to be my hallucination! After all, that guy said no one should be able to see me! Ahahaha!" She decided to laugh it off and ruffled the back of her orange hair.

"Etto... It's 2.30p.m. Where should I go?" That woman began to point her index finger at the right temple of her head as she looked upwards.

"Ahh! Tatsuki and Chizuru must be having their lunch!" With that excited voice of hers, she headed towards the north-east direction.

The Karakura Town I was looking now seemed like a different portrait than the ones I was used to. Karakura Town wasn't as brightly colored as it is right now, it did not have such high-rise buildings nor it had any areas where humans could just gather together and smile at one another. The Karakura Town I saw with Yammy was surrounded with trees; the same town I came here a few years ago had gloomier concrete architectures. The memories I had of this place kept coming back but somehow they could no longer fit back into the same places in my head anymore.

This is strange.  
My head could no longer detect the similarities across the fragments that were scattered all over the place.  
I felt curious about this world all over again.

I was chasing the girl all of a sudden, without knowing when I had picked up speed.  
She was like a navigator of this new scenery as they kept changing in color and shape.  
She never got tired of running continuously and ran her fingers across the taller wooden fences even when she was aware she could not feel the texture of wood – it was like a habit of hers when she was still human.

A large bell rung in the not-so distant northward direction.  
"It's lunch! It's lunch!" She exclaimed and ran faster towards the rhythmic chimes.

I was confused by the way she seemed like she was enjoying this mental torture game I had for her.  
I had wanted her to suffer.  
I wanted her to lose hope about the way situations are now; I wanted her to feel despondent about everything so that she would beg for me to take her life.

_Why wasn't she doing anything like this right now?  
In fact, why does she seem to love almost everything I had planned for her?_

"Tatsuki! Chizuru!" She reached the rooftop of her school and found two of her friends sitting in a circle chatting away with other girls wearing the same outfit.

She closed up the distance between her and the group of girls and bent over the short dark-haired girl and whispered "Tada ima, Tatsuki-chan!" She looked to her left and waved to the girl with a pair of red-rimmed glasses "Tada ima, Chizuru!"

I continued to observe the way she tried to break the rules I set for her – letting others realize her presence. She began to reminisce about the times she met her friends; how she was thankful about meeting them; how she would miss the way she could have lunch in this manner.

"I... don't want to say goodbye to you, Tatsuki-chan, Chizuru. You know why? Because..."

"It sounds so stupid to say this now, even when I'm in a fix myself." She laughed as tears trickled down her eyes.

"But somehow, I promise. I will protect Tatsuki-chan and Chizuru with my own strength! I will!"

"Please do not worry about me! I will be okay...." She paused for a while.

"I will be okay, I guess...," The orange-haired fool scratched the back of her head softly and stuck out her tongue.

"Naa~Tatsuki," Chizuru broke the 2-second silence as she split her chopsticks.

"Yes?" Tatsuki tore the plastic wrapper of her croquette bread.

" By now Orihime-chan, she would be telling us something interesting isn't it?" Chizuru had noticed how awkward the atmosphere had become without having Orihime around.

"Speaking of which, did anyone see Orihime-chan today?" One of the other girls raised a concern.

"Well... I haven't seen her for quite some time ever since the summer holidays," Tatsuki sank her teeth into the bread.

The atmosphere that surrounded the girls went back to square one; they had all missed that one person who was supposed to be sitting among this circle of theirs – making weird suggestions on the how-tos of delicious lunch boxes; or even tiny minute things like exclaiming over random discoveries from the news broadcasts.

"I kinda miss her," Chizuru lowered her head.

"Yea me too," Tatsuki replied in a cool manner.

"It's Orihime's birthday today," Tatsuki revealed.

_What...on earth is a birthday?  
_"Ah! It's my birthday today? "

Chizuru flipped open a device and read off the numerical digits on the screen.  
"September 3rd. Orihime-chan turns 18 today."

"We should be happy because it's a joyous occasion! Chizuru, cheer up!" The other girls smiled at the tearing bespectacled one.

"That's true. In that case we should get Orihime-chan a present!" Chizuru seemed to have recovered from her gloomy mood previously.

"That's the right way, Chizuru. Let's think of what we should get for Orihime," Tatsuki winked at Chizuru.

I shifted my eyes at the orange haired girl who stood there stunned at the conversation her friends were having; they were discussing the items they should get for someone vanishing from the face of the earth.

When it's someone's birthday in Karakura Town, it becomes a joyous event.  
That's right, the amount of time spent here staying alive was something worth remembering.  
As these people begin to conjure of items to give to this person, they become forgetful.  
They do not remember the fact that they were still gloomy.  
They do not recall the loss of their fellow classmate.

Soon enough, no one would even remember that Inoue Orihime existed.

"Minna...thank you!" Inoue Orihime covered her mouth with her palms upon hearing the list of things her friends wanted to get for her.

"I'll come back someday and receive the presents from you guys, with these hands of mine," She ran down the stairs crying as loud as her lungs could take her.

Then why is she still dying to come back and get these redundant items?  
Are these items really that necessary?

The tears on her face slapped hard on my cheeks as the strong winds blew them backwards; they felt warm to my cold skin. I tried to rub them off my face but they would not dry away as quickly; in fact, the weird liquid spread across a larger area on my cheek.

The plan worked.

She was crying at the top of her lungs.  
She was losing hope of the plight she was thrown into.  
She would feel despondent soon.

Insignificant actions like that took up a lot of time.  
Before the both of us knew it, four hours have already seeped through our fingers.

Inoue Orihime placed her hands on the metal railing.  
Her fingers wrapped around the metal pole tightly as she stretched her arms.

"Will I ever come back here?" She looked upwards and stared at it for long time.

"This place that I grew up in and made so many friends."

Her cheeks got wetter this time.

"Will I be able to see everyone grow old together?"

_Growing old together.  
_This is something I could not understand either.

I found myself having so many questions that I want her to explain to me.

"What is it like to be up there looking down at us?" She spoke out.  
I thought, for a second, that she was talking to me.  
Not until I saw her smiling at the creatures flying out from the nearby building.

"The sky today looks stunning, isn't it?" Inoue Orihime forced a smile in an attempt to make herself feel better.

I walked towards the railing and looked up in the exact angle she was facing.  
I stopped.

_The sceneries out there never change.  
We never bothered whether the sky was blue, orange or black.  
It never once made a difference._

_Until you came along._

I never knew that when one looks at the midday sky for too long, the eyes begin to hurt.

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**yu-pon's note:**

I'm back! お待たせしました～  
and I haven't been touching FFs for a long time; need to write a few more chapters to get back on track haha.  
T__To i apologise for the long wait (if you have been waiting haha)

the next chapter will probably be a continuation of this. so they'll share the same titles~~!!  
Look forward for more!!

xoxo  
yu-ponでしたぁ


	3. 弐 The 720 Minute Hourglass

**White Hibiscus ~****ホワイトハイビスカス~**

**弐 ****The 720-Minute Hourglass**

**  
****黄昏****~Dusk~**

The sky was now vermilion in colour, her faint beige skin darkened against the setting sun.  
She stood silently as the evening breeze took her hair swaying gently in the direction it blew.  
As she exhaled slowly, her left hand reached out for the distant ball of orange light.  
Dark yet blaring rays poured in between the gaps of her fingers, the silver bracelet gave out a light of its own.

"I don't have much time left, right?" She whispered to herself while examining the accessory under the evening sky.

A few hours back, the same woman had her knees on the floor, her eyes filled with clear warm fluid. Just when I thought I would be deemed victor of this round of psychological games, she slapped her cheeks thrice and took two deep breaths.  
"Orihime! Be strong, just like..." She paused before she breathed out that name.

"Kurosaki-kun,"

That name seemed like some kind of magic incantation. That woman ceased her crying and began to smile. It did not take too long for her eyes and lips to stop trembling in fear - she had already mustered enough strength to stand back up again.

Inoue Orihime is not someone one should ever underestimate.

"Indeed, she reminds me of a..."  
I paused at the comment I was making.

_What exactly did Inoue Orihime remind me of?_

The surrounding colors began to morph once more, reminding the both of us simultaneously that time was moving at a far quicker rate than we had expected. Dark lilac clouds crept stealthily and were tainting the sky with a glimpse of night. The sun was descending gradually against the stationary landscape – 6 hours left for Inoue Orihime to complete whatever I gave her to do.

The orange haired lady made a loud clap all of a sudden.

"I have to go back home before Rangiku-san and Hitsugaya-kun does!" she exclaimed before picking up speed in the direction of her own apartment. The rows of terrace houses hardly varied in their color and shape; the only thing that probably differed was the metallic numbers labeled at the front gates. The evening breeze was definitely stronger than the midday winds – that woman's hair swung at a larger angle this time. Perhaps I was getting far too bored watching this lady repeating her actions time after time, I began to notice mundane things in detail.

_I was wondering, if I had ran this much over a 12 hour time span.  
In fact I did not know how until I mimicked that woman's footsteps.  
It was walking in a speed that was far slower than Sonido, yet quicker than a normal stroll._

_We never saw the need to move that fast unless during battle conditions, so we never learnt it._

Inoue Orihime climbed up the stairs and rushed towards the fifth dark grey door.  
It took her some time to catch her breath before she began her monologues.

"I...forgot my keys! What should I do!"

She flustered and reached out for her side pockets, but the keys were not there.

The slender silhouette raised her left arm slightly above the door handle as the silver chains on the bracelet clanged softly.

"I hope he's not lying to me, or I'll look like a fool crashing into my own door."  
She muttered and pressed her left palm against the wooden surface.  
Her fingers went through effortlessly; she let out a soft gasp as her wrist was the only thing visible.

After the sole of Inoue Orihime's shoe passed through the door, a huge sigh of relief could be heard.  
"I made it! Now, now. I have to hurry!" That woman now sounded a little more perky. I could even hear her running around the house. By the time I stepped into the house, she was observed to be throwing clothes into some white box-like machine; then cleaning up every single inch of the apartment. When her chores was done, Inoue Orihime hurried to the living room and began leaving a note for her temporary roommates.

"Matsumoto-san does not know how to do housework, so I have to at least let Hitsugaya-kun know how to operate the appliances." She scribbled and doodled sketches on the notebook.

"What else is there?" that woman questioned herself.

"25. Remember to always lock the door before leaving the house. "

"26. Take good care of my house! "

The clock at the living room struck 9.45 p.m. Inoue Orihime took a final glance at her notebook before she smiled wearily at the window – the ultramarine sky was filled with silver stars. She clicked her mechanical pencil twice, and wrote at the end of the notebook page.

"Goodbye Halcyon Days."

**月光****~Moonlight~**

The pavements of Karakura Town were recolored in a darker shade of gray. Somehow, for a reason, the surroundings were still visible; even with the absence of the lamp posts. The sky was now similar to that of Hueco Mundo, with the exception of a bright and silver moon. _She was nowhere to be seen today. Was she abducted by someone else too?_

Inoue Orihime was attempting to climb into the window of a local neighbourhood clinic known as Kurosaki Clinic. It does not take too long for one to figure out who was the person she had made her mind up to say her final goodbye to.

Apart from the wounded orange-headed boy, there were two younger children lying beside the bed. The woman's entrance made the entire room seemed like a tiny storeroom.

"I used to do this a lot back in Soul Society, didn't I? Eheh, " She made a tiny joke and ruffled the back of her own waist-length hair.

"Those were really happy memories. With Rukia-chan, Ishida-kun, Chad-kun... In the end, I only chose to say goodbye to you."

I do not get it. I don't.

Why is she talking to this person as if he was really listening? Isn't she aware that he's not conscious at all? Why is she still trying so hard to get her farewell message across when the other party will be unable to receive it?

The eyes of the boy were still completely shut. Even so, the woman continued, with her arms folded backwards, her orange hair arched slightly above her shoulders. The long eyelashes were now damp with a few teardrops as she whispered.

"I wished I fell in love with the same person 5 times. Over and over again, for 5 years."

I paused and thought foolishly.

If... if that was the case...

Wouldn't I have to monitor her 5 times over too?

What a pain this person is.

The clock in the room revealed that there was only 15 minutes left. Inoue Orihime lowered her body and attempted to touch his lips with hers, but she stopped and left the room with his face filled with her tears.

"If I do it, it would mean I'll never see him again. I shouldn't think this way."

I was waiting at the clock tower, way before the stipulated time.  
Inoue Orihime kept her word, she arrived on time. Just then, the dark and heavy clouds in the sky began to shift, revealing the pale moonlight. As she stood just right below the brightest spot, her orange hair set off a soft glowing aura around her. Her eyes were closed, which further defined her long eyelashes.

_That's right, she reminded me of the moon._

Transparent and fully exposed, yet complicated and profound at the same time.  
She would seem so easily tainted by the darkness of the clouds, yet remain in the same color when they drift away.

The moon was left all alone in the sky.  
She was vulnerable and completely defenseless.  
Even so, she does not bow down to weakness.  
The intensity of light given off is not something one should underestimate.  
That's right, the moon would borrow strength from the faraway Sun and continue to shine.

As the moon opened her eyes, all she could see in front of her were despair and sheer darkness.  
Instinctively, she was taught to reflect nothing but fear in her eyes.

_Walk over here, woman._

You are just ten steps to darkness.  
There is no need to fear.  
Just like the fleeting clouds in the night sky,  
Just like the color black, I will repaint your entire scenery.

Sooner or later, you won't even love the bright blue skies; you would abandon all hope and embrace despair.

The moon approached closer, with her tiny nimble footsteps.  
"We are not that different, woman." I tried to assure her that life over in Hueco Mundo was quite similar to Karakura Town.

Instead of receiving a look of relief, she looked into my eye and rebutted.  
"We are not that different?"

"We are _too_ different."

Rebellious, yet her irises were wavering with fear. It was interesting to note that her facial expression resembled that of a passing stray cat.  
"Whatever. Welcome to Hueco Mundo."

I wondered what it would be like, if things happened the other way round.  
If I was the one abducted. If she was the bad guy. If I was made to stay in Karakura Town.  
Would the ending be the same?

Would I want to live my meaningless life again and again five times, over five years?

_Definitely not.  
_

_However..._

I would not rule out the want to encounter her again.

* * *

**yu-pon's note:  
**

wahaha i'm done with another chapter! =3  
(in the midst of completing Soul Carnival 2!!! hahaha )  
i'm supposed to finish this by sunday but i guess i was late because of.. *refer to reason above =P*

i'm thinking of a christmas chapter. since it's around the corner.  
thought of joining a contest but well.. i think i'll just write one for this fic.  
so stay tuned for the christmas chapter (it's a ...番外編! like a side-chapter XDD) !!

chapter 3 should start off their lives in Hueco Mundo!

thank you for the reviews!!!  
i should start replying them haha

xoxo  
yu-pon deshita~


	4. 参 An Orange Afterimage

**White Hibiscus ****~ホワイトハイビスカス~  
**

**参 ****An Orange Afterimage**

_The last time we said our goodbyes, wasn't exactly the last time she tried to reach out for me._

In Las Noches, there stood a few pillars made entirely of glass.  
These cylindrical poles would bounce off sources of light and brighten the rooms that were secluded from the main corridors. When I passed by for the first time, there was a white man in the wall. He had very dark hair which seemed outstanding for the skin that wrapped round his skeleton was a faint tinge of gray. The man also had a peculiarly-shaped layered skull on one side of his head – a single horn-like protruding bone above the location where the left brain should be. There was a pair of dark viridian irises that stared lifelessly back; they would move instinctively whenever there were slight movements in the background. The most distinctive feature would be the large and circular hole located where the chest should be. His long and bony fingers were curious about the hole and traced the perimeter of the round-shaped void – it was like a determinant of the person's identity.

Who is this I am staring at?  
He mimics the exact movements I do. He knows exactly what I would be doing next.  
Indeed, he seems deadly. I would definitely pull out my blade in retaliation if I were to be someone who wasn't...what I am.

I had something in me that was holding me back - _instinct._  
It was telling me to look closer and observe the situation further; it was taking my right hand out of the pocket to touch the surface of the cold and hard glass._  
Look,_ it would seemingly say in my head. _It's just yourself you are looking at_.  
There were no such thing as schools in Hueco Mundo, the Espadas probably relied a lot on instincts to teach themselves lessons with the things they discover around them.

If there was any word to describe the current journey back to Hueco Mundo, arduous would be most apt to fit in this awfully tense atmosphere. The grey passageways seemed to be winding endlessly – there was not a single sight of the exit. The walls were spiraling its way in a confusing manner that it makes walking straight a huge problem if one concentrates too much on them. While I had yearned for complete silence, it was highly impossible with the faint footsteps trailing behind. Speaking of which, I nearly forgot about that hostage._ That woman with that bright orange hair._ I had initially thought that she might be struggling and yelling harsh words to my ears, like how most unhappy Arrancars would in this world. She stopped speaking ever since she slipped into the Garganta; perhaps the sight of the cylindrical tunnel was too fearful for her to take.

All of a sudden, I hear this soft thud.  
That woman lost her balance in this intertwining dark hole and hit her knees onto the ground.  
Was I supposed to stop walking now?  
Why should I?  
A normal person would stand up instinctively after falling down isn't it?

I walked about thirty more steps before I stopped to hear if she was following behind me. I never knew how well I could hear until today - the feeble sound waves that bounced off the walls of the Garganta could form a clear image of her still kneeling on the floor. She reached her hands out in the darkness to feel if there was anyone ahead of her – who was she trying to look for? There wasn't anyone around at all. She could not balance herself too well without being able to feel where the nearest wall is. Helpless, she reached her hands out in the same manner.

I stood there observing what she was doing, like that of a vulture studying its prey.  
Unlike someone who was totally accustomed to walking in total pitch-black surroundings, she was struggling so hard to see what was in front of her. Can't you listen closely to what is happening around you? There is movement isn't it? I'm approaching closer isn't it?

_React, Ulquiorra._  
If I were to show her a single tinge of kindness, would she pledge her loyalty to Aizen-sama?

If I were to...let my instincts take over for a moment...

A pale-colored hand seemed like a sudden beam of light in the Garganta.  
She reacted so naturally to the hand that she grabbed it without even considering that it belongs to her enemy. Her frail fingers felt like five lighted matchsticks in mine – they were much warmer and slender. She looked up with her dazed irises, still unable to focus after a prolonged absence of light.

_I can't take you to the Grand Hall with you looking like this.  
Respond, woman._

_You still have greater things to fulfill._

Perhaps it did help a little that I was dressed in white.  
She blinked a few times before she saw what still holding onto her fingers – a green-eyed Espada who happened to be her abductor.  
I released the grip, now that she was back to normal.

"Let's go. There is not much time left, " I urged her to continue walking.  
She nodded and followed closer this time.

The Garganta was about to open up anytime soon._  
If only I told her how this actually works..._

The hole just emerged out of nowhere and both of us were thrown out in a projectile manner.  
She fell off first for she was nearer to the gap; I managed to evade the first hole, but wasn't quick enough to dodge the second opening.

_Bump._

The sand dunes were greeted with two soft thuds.  
I wasn't able to see very clearly with the sand particles flying around but I could hear her coughing badly – she was choking on the sand that might have irritated her throat. It took me quite a while before I saw I was lying on top of her.

In that brief moment, our eyes met in an awkward situation.

Our hands touched too, in the most awkward timing.

There were the hues of green, black and white in her eyes; the shades of grey, blue and orange in mine.

Orange...  
I dislike that color too much to speak of.  
It's too bright, even more painful to look at than yellow.  
It's a very gross color and it's all over on her hair.  
I dislike orange. I dislike her.

"It hurts...," That woman looked dizzy this time.

_What now?_  
Blood trickled down her forehead.

Did my head just bump hers just now after I hit the desert sands?

"What...happened," She murmured as she tried to squint her eyes but the pain seemed too unbearable. The sight of orange remained motionless for a while.

_Aizen-sama, I swear on my observations.  
The wounds on her head were caused by this pull called gravity.  
This has nothing to do with me._

For no reason, she sat upright all of a sudden, and bumped mine in return. It definitely felt like nothing happened, but she yelped in pain when her forehead knocked against the Hollow shell on my head.  
"Eheh it seems like my head's not hard enough here," She chuckled to herself.

_What a weird woman she is._

I detest orange.

It's the color that I find it most difficult to take it out of my head.

* * *

**yu-pon's note:**  
Tada~~ *speaking to air*  
I'm back~ ohohoho. Did I take anyone by surprise?  
Well it's the school holidays so I should be able to continue writing like mad XDD

played around with the final scene in the manga.  
in this fic, that reach out scene..is like a secret code between Ulquiorra and Orihime.  
watch out for that XDD hehe.

I couldn't write the Christmas fic but I'll put it somewhere (in another fic.)

Not sure what I want to say but...  
I hope you'll keep reading!  
Thank you (in advance) if you loved it. If you didn't, thank you for reading anyway!

Haven't visited this place for a long time, so let me get to used to it (^_^)o

ほなおつ～  
yu-pon deshita~


	5. 参 Bird Cage

**White Hibiscus ~****ホワイトハイビスカス~**

**参 ****Bird Cage**

_I lay a ring of white flowers by the clock tower.  
That day was sunny; but the rays were gentle to the skin._

_Reflexively, I was looking up.  
The skies were blue with white clouds.  
I … did not like it at all._

_For the first name that came up to my mind...  
became you._

I tried to fix my eyes at something to regain focus after bumping onto something extremely hard. It was hard to see where I was as there were white-colored sand flying everywhere, as if I was in the middle of a huge sandstorm. There were constant ringings in my head and my ears and the pain wouldn't even subside. Every time I tried to breathe, the swirling sand particles would enter my lungs and I would choke upon it.

I looked up, there was this alluring pale white moon lurking amongst the storm. It was like an eye peering down, observing how I was struggling to catch my breath in this sudden gust of sand. While the pain wore off a little with time, the head was still feeling very dizzy.

It was then, darkness shrouded the only source of light I was relying on in the midst of a chaotic situation. It was a white-colored shadow with a funny looking horn at one side of the head looming motionlessly on top of me.

"What... had just happened?" I asked the shadow wearily. My head now feels like I just had a severe hangover, as if I binged on alcohol as if I've fallen out of love.

The shadow never spoke, it did the exact thing like the moon. Those dark green and listless eyes kept staring coldly and harshly back at me. There were no emotions in those irises, they resembled an endless abyss piercing with darkness.

_Stop it. It's making me feel..._

_Strengthless. _

I never knew what happened in between, but I was definitely aware of the fact that I blacked out after staring at a pair of emotionless, glowing eyes.I never knew how I managed to reach the gates of the white castle. Did I ride on a camel? Did I sit on a magic carpet? Was I dragged across the cold sands? Was I swept hardly by the strong winds?

It was in the midst of coming up with a plausible explanation that I saw the same white shadow ahead of me.

_He probably brought me here.  
There weren't any drag marks on my arms and legs.  
My optimistic self was thinking, " At least I wasn't treated too badly". _

"Are you awake?" I can hear him asking me such a question.  
It sounded so familiar, that I responded in a flustery manner.  
The way it was phrased, reminded me of Tatsuki-chan – she loved to use this phrase whenever I picture things in my head.

"You look awake. Follow me and do not stray away," The white shadow turned around and continued walking into the seemingly endless monochromatic corridor. He wasn't even interested whether I would respond to his statement; he phrased it in a way that he meant it as an order.

I've never seen such magnificient architectures before in my life. It felt inappropriate that I was abducted by these people but a part of me was gaping wide at the way this castle was built. No one in Karakura Town could come up with pillars that measured so tall they were more than 40 stories high. The pillars were not the only ones that were flawless, the floorings were so thoroughly maintained that our reflections could be seen in every tile we walk past.

"I said," His voice bounced off each wall and shattered the brief period of peace I had.

"Do not stray away. Keep your eyes in front,"

_How did he even know I wasn't looking in front?  
Ah, the reflection from the tiles.  
They were probably used for surveillance purposes, I guess._

The footsteps continued again. I tried to keep my head looking in the direction that he had previously ordered me to, but my head was thinking about so many questions revolving this mysterious place, and this peculiar man in front of me. I shivered everytime he spoke, for his words showed no compassion at all.

_Is he a cyborg?  
I've seen movies like that before.  
I don't think he's even an Arrancar. He's so different from those I've heard from Rangiku-san.  
He talks so much lesser, and he makes very factual statements.  
Who knows he might have some metallic screws and pipes inside of him.  
No wonder he seemed so lifeless all the time._

The entire place was very much like a labyrinth, there were a couple of sharp turns and we had to enter a few doors before we reached a large door. The door handle alone seemed like it required the combined effort of two arms to click open.

"This is the Grand Hall. Aizen-sama wants to see you," He closed his eyes for a while before he pushed the door handle.

_I wondered if your body language was telling me that I shouldn't enter that room.  
When I walked beyond the door, I thought I heard you whispering,_  
"_Obey everything they say."  
And then you pretend to walk ahead of me._

_I was grateful for that pre-warning actually._

I was shown my room where I was held captive. Somehow, other than those much scarier and intimidating-looking Arrancars I met in the Grand Hall, Aizen-san and the other two defected Shinigami Captains, and the extremely tense atmosphere felt from everyone's spiritual pressure, this situation that I'm stuck with did not seem entirely like an abduction.

_No no no, I was abducted.  
I was taken away by forc...  
No, I wasn't. I came here by my own will.  
I was even given the chance to say goodbye._

_So... I wasn't exactly abducted?_

The room had no light, so I was only able to catch a few glimpses of the furniture around me. There was a couch, a round table and a huge Persian rug. The entire room was definitely larger than my apartment, but it seemed too spacious with all the empty spaces around. I wasn't exactly comfortable with facing the door because I didn't like the thought of having Arrancars barging in, drawing out their swords just to take my life solely for their personal entertainment. I was, however, aware that that weird-looking cyborg Arrancar would come by just to observe whether I'm alive or not.

I glanced at the arched window that was right above me. It provided me with a peek of how the night sky looked like in this place. The skies here were completely black and there were no stars at all. There was a pale moon in the center of the window – it was the same one that I saw when I landed hard on the sands. It was like a spotlight shining into my dark room, revealing furniture I've never noticed when I first entered. I was attracted to the gentle glow of the moon, it was like a source of strength, spurring me to stay alive in this place. It was constantly reminding me the reason why I was standing below it, gazing at it from this angle – to get my friends out of possible danger.

The thing about this place was that time never moved. It was always night time, the moon was always there. I've heard about the waning of the moon as days passed, so I'm pretty sure time was definitely absent in this desert-like place. As I stood nearer and nearer to the arched window, I realised something.

_I was like a bird. That window was what a bird sees from within the cage.  
If I really was a bird, then I must be a really foolish one.  
I flew into the cage willingly.  
I gave up the freedom to soar, in exchange for keeping my dear friends safe._

That piece of the sky seemed like it was exclusively mine. The exact tint and hue of the color black that no one else knew. I would reach my right out sometimes, in an attempt to feel the atmosphere that was closer to the moon – it didn't feel warmer but I loved the way my skin brightened up under it. I couldn't believe myself when I actually developed the thought that I might have just fitted myself to this place.

_Did you know, Ulquiorra-san?  
That when this bird flew out of the cage you built for her,  
she lost her way._

_She would look at the bright blue sky now,_

_She would cry because it was hurting her so much,_

_She would close her eyes, and_

_She would call out a name._

_Your name._

_The bird missed her endlessly black sky._

_

* * *

_**yu-pon's note:**

Hello everyone~ *waves*  
Happy Tanabata to everyone!

I'm partially back. My school has started actually,  
but I'll try to write whenever I can, and hopefully I can update along the way.  
I want to write a new Tanabata fic, because I love the festival so much.  
So hopefully I can get it done before the weekend.

I specially wrote this in Orihime's Point of View.  
Note that it's still the same chapter... *smiles*

I wrote a short drabble in LiveJournal, and I think it'll appear here soon.

Last but not least, thank you for reading. Thank you for the reviews really.  
See ya guys real soon okay!

ほなおつ～  
yu-pon deshita~


	6. 肆 The Silent 'Arrancar'

**White Hibiscus ~****ホワイトハイビスカス~**

**肆 ~****The Silent 'Arrancar'~**

I used to have no issues following orders handed down by Aizen-sama.  
After all, Espadas were created so as to fulfill his eventual goals, no matter what they may be.

Well, most of the orders sounded pretty logical to me, _except for this one._

How long has it been, since I was ordered to observe the same scenery over and over again, without the need to record it down? It sounded like a sudden doorway of freedom – one would rush towards it without hesitation and swing it open eagerly, wouldn't he? I wasn't actually particular about the freedom part - it piqued my interest a little, however, to be able to perform something different.

All I had to do was to watch like a spectator, while the events fall into place by themselves. There would not be a need for me to draw out my sword, nor would there be a necessity to even try to do that. _It seemed like a really easy task to me_.

Aizen-sama even came over to visit personally to brief me on this task – if it were really that easy to accomplish, it wouldn't even require him to do this, would he? – I naturally sensed the catches underlying the terms and conditions. The way Aizen-sama bent over and studied my eye contact appeared to me like he was reading my mind – he too, noticed the uncertainty that fleeted across my irises. _Why am I, Quatro Espada, being sent to observe the antics of an abducted human girl like a prison warden?_

"Ulquiorra, there is no need for you to stand at the frontline of the war –we can handle this on our own pretty effortlessly. I'll need you, however, to guard Las Noches. And since she's the guest of this fortress, I suppose you have a duty too, right?"

_Aizen-sama, did you just…_

I suppose I did let out a frown without even realizing it myself.

"What's wrong, Ulquiorra?" Aizen-sama took a quick glance at me.

"Aizen-sama, the duty to…?"  
I do not really favor the usage of vague expressions.

"The human girl you brought here. You still remember her, don't you?"

_No, it's not that._

"Ah, right. The duty to take good care of her, she's our distinguished guest, Ulquiorra. In fact, for your convenience, I had her placed near where you sleep. It's easier to perform your duty, isn't it?"

_Next...to where I sleep? I don't think that's making it more convenient, Aizen-sama.  
_"I appreciate that, Aizen-sama," I bowed my head slightly as he made his exit out of the door.

_I lied. I deeply apologize for that, Aizen-sama.  
It's just that…you have no idea how meddlesome she is._

I knew it. That was the catch of the seemingly effortless task – to treat Inoue Orihime like a distinguished guest. That is certainly, not my field of expertise. I've only learnt how to kill and to churn out observations – I do not know how to handle… a human girl.

Ever since that day, I loathed the fact that time had ticked away so fast in Karakura Town that Las Noches's first _distinguished guest_ had resided_ quite comfortably_ eight steps away from my room. I would playback Aizen-sama's orders in my head to constantly remind myself that I was doing everything for the sake of a common goal. I sometimes would try to inject more fear into her head so that her fists would tremble so much that she would refuse talking to anyone – it made _babysitting _much easier that way.

The observation for Day One had just ended, without anything interesting in particular.  
The guest had refused to talk or touch her meals; she just stood there at the center of the Persian Rug in her school uniform, her eyes dazed by the moonlight.

_I may know a thing or two how this world operates.  
__I may know how the hierarchy of the Hollows works in Hueco Mundo.  
__I may know how to kill mercilessly or the way to generate analytical reports.  
__Yet, when it comes to treating a distinguished guest of the Las Noches,  
__Aizen-sama, you taught me nothing of it._

I had calculated that Day Two would be slightly better, but the situation remained unchanged for the next couple of days. She was stubborn and defied my words even when I threatened to kill her the other day. My patience somehow was getting out of hand whenever I tried to get her to listen to me. I was dreading this task even more as the routine repeated itself every day.

Gradually, she became a fixed object of the scenery for that room. By now, I wasn't even surprised to see her standing at that spot. In fact, I might even question her if she were to change locations. Her slender back looked a tad more fragile than the first time she stood there – was it because she kept refusing meals? I could feel my hand reaching out for the handle of my sword rather instinctively – it wasn't exactly because I felt like killing her, more like I wanted her to listen to what I want to tell her.

_Stop._

_Stop, Murci_é_lago._

I had to curb that alluring aura of the blade's handle by clenching my grip onto it as I made my entrance into her room this time. As the clouds cleared, I could see her brightly colored hair flickering like a frail candlelight in my eyes. For an unknown reason, I could feel a slight strain in my pupils as they tried hard to focus onto her hair.

Life was falling back to its mundane self once more; the sceneries that were supposed to change fell back into their constant shape. The addition of another silhouette in that previously empty room had became a norm by the fourth day. Things are getting a bit too meaningless. I began to recall the words that I instilled into her head and the particular sentences that made her angry – I've decided to repeat those sensitive words so that she'll crumble from the psychological stress.

_Wait a minute, Ulquiorra.  
If you do that, she'll…_

_Is that a way to treat a distinguished guest?_

That awkward feeling I felt from being unable to reply my own questions was making me uneasy. I guess that contributed to some of poor decisions - like the fact that I went over to her room for the third time on Day Five - that was indeed a completely rash decision I made without thinking much of the consequences. Then again, I had no choice but to fulfill those duties handed over from Aizen-sama - to make sure that she wouldn't be bullied by the other Hollows residing in this vast desert. Along with me, I brought the rejected white uniform sample I found by the living quarters of the lesser-known Arrancars.

I made my presence known when I lay the one-pieced garment on the couch. This time, I made sure the _distinguished _guest responded to me, verbally. _I need you to listen to what I want to tell you._

"Woman, change into these clothings,"

There was an expected period of silence. I promised myself that I would not give in this time – I've decided to confront her – I stood right in front of her and pointed my finger on her cheek.

"This," My eyes glanced over at her neck. It looked enticing enough for me to drive a hole through it.

"and this," I trickled my fingers all the way downwards; there was little friction felt on her skin because of those fine pores. Her neck shivered a little as my icy finger travelled further and stopped at the center of her chest. Defiant, she raised her right arm in an attempt to slap my face – my reflexes grabbed that wrist so tightly that it almost turned blue. Tears were gathering at the corner of the right eye by now.

"They all belong to us," I stared straight into her gray eyes. There was a moment of struggle in that right arm of hers, but it stopped when I pushed her onto the floor. I pulled one end of the red ribbon that covered the first button of her white collared shirt. I leaned closer, my eyes peered down at her scornful expression as I flicked open the buttons on her beige cardigan.

"Resist for all you want, woman," I threw her outer garment towards the blank wall by the window.

"Don't you call me 'woman'," She hissed those words as she finally broke her silence. I began to unfasten the plastic buttons on her white top one-by-one, revealing her fair skin tone under the obscured moonlight. I did not dislike the feeling of my fingers running across her warm skin, it felt like as if she was edible. She struggled even harder, her legs were kicking away and her fingertips were holding onto the ground so hard that they were all white – I lowered my body this time so that there would be little space left for her to move around – in other words, I wanted her to stay put while I finished my instructions.

I wondered if it was another part of me that had taken control of the entire situation. Perhaps, this was all _Murci_é_lago's doing._ In less than a minute, I went towards the drape of her neck and I savored the sight of it up close – it was my most preferred part of the entire human anatomy. I do not know how to explain my following action of sniffing the scent that was emitting from her skin, but it was irresistible for an unknown reason.

I said in an inaudible volume so that even the walls would not be able to hear what I said,  
"What do you want me to call you then?"

Her body jolted for a second at that question. I guess she didn't expect that at all.  
It was another period of silence.

"Arrancar?" I made her a suggestion while my body was right on top of her. I studied her wet eyes to see if she had preferred this option. She looked away in disgust as the tears continued to roll out of her eyes.

"Woman is better, isn't it?" I went on to rub away the tears on the ends of her lips.

"At least you are still human in this room, while everyone else out there regards you as one of them,"  
The resistance efforts ceased along with the end of the final syllable of the sentence.

"I'll say it one more time. Change into those clothes," I peered coldly at the flung cardigan.  
I knew somehow she would refuse to do so, and that moment of silence would occur once more.

"I'll make it so you can't wear these clothes anymore," I broke the buttons on her white shirt and picked up the red ribbon.

_I finally said what I had intended to tell her._

_A guest should probably be dressed in something that she could move around easily within Las Noches, right? She should most certainly be wearing clothes that are widely accepted by the masses and not stand out like an alien, right?_

"I'll come and check in a few minutes," I made my own exit, feeling a little accomplished.

"I'm not…" She said in a feeble tone, still trembling from the aftermath of the struggle. I halted my steps, just in case I need to turn back and force my intentions into her stubborn skull.

_She was probably going to say things like "I'm not wearing this," or "I'm not going to listen to you."_

"…afraid of you," She finished her line, her body still lying on top of the handcrafted rug.

_I'm not afraid of you.  
__I…never thought she would say something that irrelevant._

"I'll come and check in a few minutes,"  
I didn't know why I repeated myself, perhaps it became my turn to fall silent when responding.

* * *

**yu-pon's note:**

Hello everyone~~~  
It's me (?), I'm thinking people are starting to forget my existence, haha.  
I'm currently blasting Chatmonchy's songs, so I'm feeling a little 'high'.

I finished my studies, so to mark the end of the papers...  
I decided to kickstart by continuing the story~~ fufufu~!

It's about how Ulquiorra made Orihime took off her school uniform to fit in the Arrancar outfit (he designed it, haha).  
If you read in between the lines, you should be able to see that hint. I didn't make it obvious because it's a Ulquiorra narrative.  
Hopefully, it's not too...explicit for a Teenage rating because I used to write *coughs* stuff in the past.  
I would have to change it if I get too descriptive ya? XDD  
Let me know if you are okay with it, ha.

Ah, just in case if anyone's wondering why Ulquiorra said " Stop it, _Murci_é_lago" _, he's actually blaming his own sword (imagine a materialised form) for disrupting his thoughts.  
Well, that's not the case, isn't it? XDD aww.

Thank you for reading!  
I nearly forgot to say this. The chapter is here because you guys were there~ makes sense? XDD  
I read every single review and I always feel energized after reading them! Thank you!

I look forward to writing the next chapter! I think Grimmjow should make an appearance soon haha, I kinda missed him.

ほなおつ～  
yu-pon deshita~


	7. 伍 Wide Open Liars

**White Hibiscus ~****ホワイトハイビスカス~**

**伍~Wide**** Open Liars~**

_I could close my eyes.  
I could tell myself to see nothing.  
I could feel it moving.  
I could hear it breathing, but I saw nothing.  
It could become nothing._

I sometimes question the point of having a meeting when the leaders are not present and the remaining members turn up late, showing very little interest in participation. The past few meetings after all were all headed by Aizen-sama, who insisted that the Espadas get together more often so that they see one another as comrades, and not contemplate to kill off one another all the time.

_I will close my eyes.  
I will see nothing._

Without Aizen-sama in Las Noches, it was almost equivalent to the absence of proper governance. I had to sit in the middle of the long table to watch the lower-leveled Espadas raise their voices and try to take over the meeting and get a glimpse of what it feels like to be on higher grounds. If it not for Aizen-sama, I would have stitched their lips together before prying a hole in their chests. The meeting was getting almost out of hand.

_If all I see is nothing, then nothing becomes the absolute truth.  
This darkness that lies ahead will lull me deeper and deeper.  
The emptiness in a completely dark world is peaceful._

I stood up. The sound of dragging the white marble chair across the floor made the Espadas fall silent. The room was back to its peaceful state. "Do whatever you want, as long as Las Noches remains intact. The instructions given are that simple. Stay alive." With that, the Espada Meeting was finally over. There was no need to brainstorm too much with those rash imbeciles. After all, those who would offer intellectual tactics were all dispatched to Karakura Town.

I exhaled wearily and paced slowly as I watched the black lines that tiled the paths of the long gray corridors. I found myself dreading to enter the arched room even though my fingers are resting comfortably in the side pockets. Then again, there was something peculiar about that white room that would always make me want to enter time and time again. I was so accustomed to observing changes that when things become too stationary in the room, I would find it calming to watch. I could not offer an explanation to it, but I gradually found myself perceiving the back view of the standing orange-haired woman to be serene. There was no impending threat coming from the target, nor were there sudden movements.

When the white room became visible, I felt something was amiss today. The woman was not standing in her usual position. Her reiatsu was still around the vicinity of that place, so there was no need to comb through Las Noches to find her. I tried tracking the trail of her reiatsu, only to realize that she was lying right in the middle of the rug of … _my room_. All of a sudden, there was so much to process in my head – all the questions and analysis revolving this unintended change. I had no idea what this woman wants to try this time, but the fact that she infiltrated my room today was undoubtedly questionable.

"What are you doing, woman?" I stood behind her, my eyes peering down at her face. Even with her eyes closed, her features were defined. Her cheeks seemed more visible than before, which could only meant that she was not eating her meals again. Her orange hair stood out from the black rug easily was straighter than yesterday, which meant that she did move over to the rack to use the comb when I left the room. Her white outfit glowed under the pale light; the bold and black lines that traced her curves seemed to determine an apt decision in removing her civilian clothing.

There was no reply.

I knew by now, that she could hear me very well. She just refuses to reply, that's all. It was as if she wants to take control of the conversation. It is okay; I am totally fine with that. I do not like to converse with people over meaningless squabbles anyway. "You…" She breathed out; the singular syllable rang loudly in my ears. I was not expecting her to talk to me today. Her gray irises slowly looked up into mine.

"You are back," She closed her eyes once more, as if she was defiantly testing my patience.

"You are in the wrong room, woman," I had to put it across to her, lest she had not noticed it.

"I know," She smiled a little, as if she was enjoying the moment of intruding into my personal space. Her lips were turning paler – a sign of dehydration. As I moved towards the dark-colored jug by the window and poured a glass of water, I heard her speak again.

"How does it feel?"

_How does it feel?  
What are you talking about?_

"Drink up, woman," I placed the glass of water right beside her fingers and sat down.

"Don't you ever feel unhappy?" She asked another question.

"Stop talking and drink that glass of water," I repeated my instruction, this time I rephrased in another manner. I was starting to wonder if my sentences were structured in a manner that comprehension was compromised under normal circumstances. The truth was, I was at a loss of words. After all, what does it feel like to be unhappy? Have I ever felt unhappy before?

_I could not feel anything_.  
_There is nothing to be felt anyway._

"If you answer my question, I will drink the glass of water," She pushed my limits again, like how she had done it before.

I looked over, and I saw her eyes looking back at mine. The dark rings that were hanging at the bottom of her eyes revealed her state of dehydration. Her irises were shaking, as if they were on the verge of insanity. Even so, her thin fingers were inching mischievously to the glass of water. Even at her current physical state, she showed no signs of backing down.

"No," I gave in reluctantly. She smiled once more and lifted the glass weakly. The glass wobbled and fell a few centimeters. Just as it was about to hit the rug, I barely pinched the tip of the glass with my fingers. Fortunately, not a single drop of water spilled out.

There was a very faint giggling sound coming out from her and I saw a thumbs-up.  
"You really have excellent reflexes," She commented.

"And you can't feel unhappiness. Life must be… really boring here," She continued to comment away breathlessly as I loomed over her in the same fashion. The frequency of her voice was a lot lower than that night's, but it was echoing loudly in my head. I could tell that she was too weak to resist as long as I apply force to it. Without much hesitation, I grabbed the glass of water and I made sure that her right hand was firmly locked onto the rug. I stared hard at her eyes and I tried to inflict fear with a little reiatsu. I inhaled deeply and ignored her remarks.

"Get up. Finish this glass. Leave the room," I delivered my command and waited for her response. She looked at me, her lips slightly twitched at first, and then she looked away. I could feel her weak pulse from the veins on her wrist; it was a lot slower than before. She bit her lips and…

_She said my name._

"Ulquiorra,"

_I froze. My shoulders stiffened up.  
There was a peculiar feeling to it.  
I could not describe what it was._

"I…can't get up," Her eyes were fixed onto mine. She didn't seem to feel bothered about the fact that our faces were only ten centimeters apart. She knew she couldn't fight back, so she tries to reason with me in this stance.

"I… have no intention of lying here,"

_Her voice…_

"I wanted to see your room,"

_Ulquiorra, close your eyes.  
Filter the sound away.  
Fall into the piece of darkness._

"So I walked over and I saw it was empty,"

_I can't._ The wavelengths projecting out from her body were filling up the entire room like violent vibrations. I could hear her breathing; I could hear her heart beat; I could pick out the sound of her blood flowing across the arteries; I could hear her lips shivering; I could hear…almost everything.

"I stood for a while. I saw your window, and then…"

"Everything went black,"

_For a while, there was a period of silence.  
There was nothing in absolute darkness.  
It surely had become nothing.  
Her existence was fading away.  
_

"You need this," I tilted her head upwards and poured the glass of water into her slightly agape mouth. I released my grip on her wrist and watched her attempt to sit up.

"Thank you," She replied as she reached out her right hand to support herself to sit upright. I walked to the other side of the room to fetch the IV drips. She needed these bags to keep her alive before she decides to eat properly.

"Why do you want to see this room?" I asked her.

"I want to see what you see in this room," She replied, her eyes fixed on the ceiling of my room.

I found it hard to respond to that question. She was always giving very strange answers to everything, as if it was close to impossible to predicting her next move. She was functioning like a random permutation with infinite possibilities.

"And then…get to know you," Her eyes briefly watched my reaction to those words. I could sense her doing that, so I feigned ignorance.

"As an enemy?" I had to pop the question, even when I was fully aware of her reply. Then again, she was a tricky target to generate an accurate analysis of her somewhat erratic behavior.

"No, as one of you," She reached out her left arm and pointed her feeble trembling finger at me. My eyes widened at the sudden realization that she was declaring a change of allegiance. Did she mean that she was no longer standing on the same side with her so-called 'friends' anymore?

"You lie, woman," I sighed out loud and rested my body in the exact posture as she did. The black rug felt different when I was resting on it. I never knew it could be this soft for I had always trampled on it without noticing much. I glanced up and I saw the plain, dull-looking gray ceiling.

_What was so interesting about this view anyway?_

"There's nothing here at all," I remarked, my eyes continued to look up. I could feel her pushing her elbows towards the rug to turn her body sideways. She then leaned closer to where I was; her eyes were looking at my nose.

"I know," She nodded her head and drew an arc with her palm slowly in the air.

"This place..." She then took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

_It feels like a peaceful swirling black hole, she said.  
I could not see the hole like she claimed to have seen it.  
Yet, I could somehow understand what she was trying to say.  
Without seeing it. I could sense it. _

"Maybe we should all stop fighting; and we could all learn to get along better," She commented.

"You lied again, woman. Our ideals are not even common. We could never get along," I refused her statement.

"Liar," She giggled and stretched her finger out towards my face. I stopped her wrist before she could progress any further. She smiled as she flashed her IV drip at me, like she was hinting to me that I should not maltreat her any further.

"Look, we are getting along now, aren't we," She poked my cheek the instant I let go of her hand. I flicked it away. For that brief second, I had thought that perhaps I deliberately allowed her to do that weird action.

"Liar," I replicated her words.  
How could such conversations determine that we were getting along better?

_I closed my eyes again.  
When I opened those eyes, I saw hers.  
My eyes could only be telling the truth.  
Her existence seemed permanent._

The last words I heard that night before she went into a deep slumber was  
"Good night, Ulquiorra-kun,"

_There was no need to transport her back that quickly, I suppose._

* * *

**yu-pon's note:**

Hellooooo~~  
It's been one year since I stopped writing, so I should seek for your kind forgiveness. I need some oiling for sure, lol.  
I lost my account in such a way I forgot which was the email that I registered an account for...  
Thank goodness I found it!  
I am not too sure if anyone reads this anymore...but I ought to complete it anyway!

I love writing about Ulquiorra and Orihime in a ...not-so-romantic way, which is why I decided to write about a possible conversation going on between the two of them. Lalala.

I'll see everyone soon~ I am halfway done for the next one.  
I am really going to throw Grimmjow in next chapter!

ほなおつ～  
yu-pon deshita~


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